Narrative:

I took off from a private airfield in lovettsville; va; called the grass patch. The grass patch airport has an east/west grass runway; 2000 ft long and is located 2 mi north of the dc ADIZ. I have been flying my antique airplane; a 1940 rearwin cloudster model 8135 from the grass patch since 2003 after a 3-YR; full restoration. The cloudster has a ken royce 7 cylinder radial engine; that is a derivative of the lebond 5 cylinder engine; a 1900 design. As a matter of safety and a normal procedure; which was used in the 'old days;' I circle the port while under 'takeoff power' before departing the area. This procedure ensures a safe landing back to the departing airport in the event of an engine problem. Once I have an altitude of 1500 ft MSL; I set cruise power and proceed west to a small ridge of mountains. I then fly along the ridge line southwest to a road that indicates visually to me that I'm getting close to the ADIZ airspace. I fly this route because there are a lot of fields below me. I complete a 180 degree turn and fly back along the ridge; until I can turn right and proceed east; direct to the airport for a landing or circuit work. On this particular day when I was traveling southwest along the ridge line; I noticed an erratic movement of the oil pressure needle. This distraction caused my attention to be diverted from my landmark (the road); to the oil pressure gauge. I decided to make a 360 degree turn to the right and see if I could make some power adjustments to settle the oil pressure needle. I tried various power settings and noticed that if I reduced the power a bit; the oil pressure needle would settle right in the green arc. After a couple of 360 degree turns; the oil pressure was fine again at any power setting; so I continued back to grass patch over the same path as previously flown. After returning to the hangar; I was approached by 2 loudoun county sheriffs. They told me that the homeland security office was looking for a pilot who took off and landed in lovettsville that day. The police gave me a number to call; which I did. When I called in; I idented myself; my airplane's n-number; and gave my pilot's certificate number to the agent. I called again later in the day and was told that a report was filed with the FSDO in harrisburg; PA. The problem arose from my lack of attention to my visual landmark (the road) indicating that I was in ADIZ restr airspace. The fact that the oil pressure indicator was fluctuating could have been dealt with while maintaining a visual contact with the landmark. Instead; I was overly concerned about the oil pressure indicator and not as concerned about the incursion into the ADIZ airspace. This last fact was my mistake. The engine oil temperature was fine; and the cylinder head temperature was fine; with only the oil pressure indicator being erratic. The correct action would have been for me to turn north; fly over my landmark (the road) and then begin my checks. Flying an antique airplane requires a different set of plting skills. These antique airplanes without radios and xponders shouldn't be flown in or around restr airspace. From here on out; I will depart the grass patch airport; fly northeast towards the potomac river. This route will keep me away from the ADIZ and give me the comfort of being close to my home airport; in the event I want to get back in a hurry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF ANTIQUE SMA VENTURES INTO DC ADIZ WHEN DISTR BY ENG OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATION.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM A PVT AIRFIELD IN LOVETTSVILLE; VA; CALLED THE GRASS PATCH. THE GRASS PATCH ARPT HAS AN E/W GRASS RWY; 2000 FT LONG AND IS LOCATED 2 MI N OF THE DC ADIZ. I HAVE BEEN FLYING MY ANTIQUE AIRPLANE; A 1940 REARWIN CLOUDSTER MODEL 8135 FROM THE GRASS PATCH SINCE 2003 AFTER A 3-YR; FULL RESTORATION. THE CLOUDSTER HAS A KEN ROYCE 7 CYLINDER RADIAL ENG; THAT IS A DERIVATIVE OF THE LEBOND 5 CYLINDER ENG; A 1900 DESIGN. AS A MATTER OF SAFETY AND A NORMAL PROC; WHICH WAS USED IN THE 'OLD DAYS;' I CIRCLE THE PORT WHILE UNDER 'TKOF PWR' BEFORE DEPARTING THE AREA. THIS PROC ENSURES A SAFE LNDG BACK TO THE DEPARTING ARPT IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG PROB. ONCE I HAVE AN ALT OF 1500 FT MSL; I SET CRUISE PWR AND PROCEED W TO A SMALL RIDGE OF MOUNTAINS. I THEN FLY ALONG THE RIDGE LINE SW TO A ROAD THAT INDICATES VISUALLY TO ME THAT I'M GETTING CLOSE TO THE ADIZ AIRSPACE. I FLY THIS RTE BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF FIELDS BELOW ME. I COMPLETE A 180 DEG TURN AND FLY BACK ALONG THE RIDGE; UNTIL I CAN TURN R AND PROCEED E; DIRECT TO THE ARPT FOR A LNDG OR CIRCUIT WORK. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY WHEN I WAS TRAVELING SW ALONG THE RIDGE LINE; I NOTICED AN ERRATIC MOVEMENT OF THE OIL PRESSURE NEEDLE. THIS DISTR CAUSED MY ATTN TO BE DIVERTED FROM MY LANDMARK (THE ROAD); TO THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. I DECIDED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN TO THE R AND SEE IF I COULD MAKE SOME PWR ADJUSTMENTS TO SETTLE THE OIL PRESSURE NEEDLE. I TRIED VARIOUS PWR SETTINGS AND NOTICED THAT IF I REDUCED THE PWR A BIT; THE OIL PRESSURE NEEDLE WOULD SETTLE RIGHT IN THE GREEN ARC. AFTER A COUPLE OF 360 DEG TURNS; THE OIL PRESSURE WAS FINE AGAIN AT ANY PWR SETTING; SO I CONTINUED BACK TO GRASS PATCH OVER THE SAME PATH AS PREVIOUSLY FLOWN. AFTER RETURNING TO THE HANGAR; I WAS APCHED BY 2 LOUDOUN COUNTY SHERIFFS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE WAS LOOKING FOR A PLT WHO TOOK OFF AND LANDED IN LOVETTSVILLE THAT DAY. THE POLICE GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL; WHICH I DID. WHEN I CALLED IN; I IDENTED MYSELF; MY AIRPLANE'S N-NUMBER; AND GAVE MY PLT'S CERTIFICATE NUMBER TO THE AGENT. I CALLED AGAIN LATER IN THE DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT A RPT WAS FILED WITH THE FSDO IN HARRISBURG; PA. THE PROB AROSE FROM MY LACK OF ATTN TO MY VISUAL LANDMARK (THE ROAD) INDICATING THAT I WAS IN ADIZ RESTR AIRSPACE. THE FACT THAT THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS FLUCTUATING COULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH WHILE MAINTAINING A VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE LANDMARK. INSTEAD; I WAS OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR AND NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCURSION INTO THE ADIZ AIRSPACE. THIS LAST FACT WAS MY MISTAKE. THE ENG OIL TEMP WAS FINE; AND THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMP WAS FINE; WITH ONLY THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR BEING ERRATIC. THE CORRECT ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR ME TO TURN N; FLY OVER MY LANDMARK (THE ROAD) AND THEN BEGIN MY CHKS. FLYING AN ANTIQUE AIRPLANE REQUIRES A DIFFERENT SET OF PLTING SKILLS. THESE ANTIQUE AIRPLANES WITHOUT RADIOS AND XPONDERS SHOULDN'T BE FLOWN IN OR AROUND RESTR AIRSPACE. FROM HERE ON OUT; I WILL DEPART THE GRASS PATCH ARPT; FLY NE TOWARDS THE POTOMAC RIVER. THIS RTE WILL KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE ADIZ AND GIVE ME THE COMFORT OF BEING CLOSE TO MY HOME ARPT; IN THE EVENT I WANT TO GET BACK IN A HURRY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.